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UID:213@sciencefictionbookclub.org
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20260112T180000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20260112T213000
DTSTAMP:20251229T173244Z
URL:https://www.sciencefictionbookclub.org/events/roadside-picnic-by-arkad
 y-and-boris-strugatsky-12th-january-2026/
SUMMARY:Roadside Picnic by Arkady and Boris Strugatsky (12th January 2026)
DESCRIPTION:One of the most enduring Science Fiction classics of all time..
 .\n\nRed Schuhart is a stalker\, one of those strange misfits who are comp
 elled by some unknown force to venture illegally into the Zone and\, in sp
 ite of the extreme danger\, collect the mysterious artefacts that the alie
 n visitors left scattered around. His life is dominated by the Zone and th
 e thriving black market in the alien products. Even the nature of his daug
 hter has been determined by the Zone. And it is for her that Red makes his
  last\, tragic foray into the hazardous and hostile depths.\n\n\n\nReaders
  can't stop thinking about Roadside Picnic:\n\n'A story of a horrific yet 
 fascinating place\, a story of an ordinary and unlikable man just trying t
 o get by\, a philosophical interlude on humanity and its significance or l
 ack thereof\, of greed and wonder\, and the fever dream of the soul scream
 . It still speaks to me' Goodreads reviewer\, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐\n\n'Such
  an intriguing setting for me\, such an unusual take on alien interaction'
  Goodreads reviewer\, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐\n\n'It is a thought-provoking\, hard
 -to-put down masterpiece\, most probably the best introduction to Soviet s
 cience fiction. A must read for any sci-fi fan' Goodreads reviewer\, ⭐ 
 ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐\n\n'A fantastic and creative exploration of what first con
 tact might be like' Goodreads reviewer\, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐\n\n'The tone 
 of the book is akin to that of some noir works\, dark\, gritty\, getting d
 arker and grittier as the tale wears on . . . Like many great books\, the 
 meaning of the ending is left up to the reader' Goodreads reviewer\, ⭐ 
 ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐\n\n'A beautifully depressive and wonderfully atmospheric s
 cience fiction novel about life on Earth after an alien "Visitation" that 
 leaves humans with more questions than answers . . . Once I started readin
 g it today\, I couldn't stop. The story captured my heart and held my atte
 ntion' Goodreads reviewer\, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐\n\n'This is the sort of bo
 ok that you read and then immediately feel the need to lend it to someone 
 you know so that they can experience and enjoy it themselves . . . I was t
 ruly astonished-by both the poignancy and the deceptive(?) simplicity of t
 his relatively short novel' Goodreads reviewer\, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.sciencefictionbookclub.org/wp-conten
 t/uploads/2025/09/2026-01_-_Roadside_Picnic.jpg
CATEGORIES:Book Discussion
LOCATION:The Golden Lion\, 25 King Street\, St James\, London\, SW1Y 6QY\, 
 United Kingdom
GEO:51.506294;-0.137464
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 Lion:geo:51.506294,-0.137464
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